Stay Strong
by IndigoInWinter
Summary: Years ago, in another life, Anna and Elsa had been friends. In their last summer after high school they discovered how they really felt about each other, and Elsa revealed her secret. Circumstance forced them to go their separate ways. Time passes, people change. It's been over a decade since, and they've gone down very different paths. What if those paths crossed again...(Elsanna)
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** First things first, this story is intended to be a continuation of "Be Strong, My Girl" written by the wonderful hotskytrotsky over at AO3 (with her permission, of course). If you somehow stumbled upon this without having previously read her work, I highly encourage reading BSMG first (though I am quite thankful that you have considered spending your time reading my work). BSMG can be found at the link below (and it's only a 2 chapter commitment).

/works/1618208/chapters/3448535

That said, if you love BSMG as is (or if you choose not to read it, I suppose), you're welcome to read this as a standalone. However, keep in mind that I will be making direct references to it as often as I can, so you might have to fill in some blanks. Also, for anybody who isn't familiar with BSMG, _this is non-incest Elsanna_.

Fair warning to people who are just coming from reading BSMG, this may read rather differently. Not only for the differences in writing style between hotskytrotsky and I, but also because I chose not to write in a first-person perspective, and perhaps for other reasons. I think it would be arrogant and insulting of me to presume that I could recreate her unique style (one that I, and others found quite powerful in the original story) so I didn't attempt to. For better or worse, I'm embracing my own style and the story her work inspired me to tell. All I can do is hope that it isn't off-putting for anyone.

Thanks again hotskytrotsky for your work, and your blessing to write this.

 **Notes on music** : You'll notice that at the beginning of every chapter I list a handful of lyrics from a song, which is a practice that I'm blatantly ripping off from Kurrent, author of "Feel, Don't Conceal" (another story that I recommend). I listen to a lot of music when I write, and I have this terrible compulsion to share. I realize that approximately 110% of people do not care what I listen to ever (let alone while I write), and don't have the same taste in music, so I figured this would be a pretty unobtrusive way to include it. I've tried to tie it in with a theme of radios (because I think a lot of the settings I'll use in this story would have radios in the background). If you see a song you know, and want to listen while you read (or just have a love of listening to new things), I recommend Spotify. But feel free to only read the lyrics, or to skip over them entirely if you don't feel they add anything to the story.

My intention, with that whole radio theme, is to try and only select songs that have seen radio play, or are by artists that have. As for the song I chose for this chapter, I thought the melancholy (boom, pretentious word) really caught the essence of how it feels to go back and read BSMG for me. Also, I think the lyrics are mostly appropriate and applicable to that story, as well as moving forward into this one.

Enjoy.

* * *

PROLOGUE

On the radio...

 _Put another X on the calendar_

 _Summer's on its deathbed_

 _There is simply nothing worse_

 _Than knowing how it ends_

 _And I meant everything I said that night_

 _I will come back to life_

 _But only for you..._

\- Panic! At The Disco, "The Calendar" (Vices and Virtues)

 _It's been almost 11 years._ _What the fuck am I doing here?_

A woman not quite thirty, lost in her own thoughts, walks steadily down the streets of a residential district in a European city. The sun shines above in the nearly-cloudless afternoon sky. It's not cold, but she wears a light jacket, that blows loosely in the slight breeze along with her copper ponytail. A perk of her most recent occupation; she doesn't wear it in the twin braids that she used to, once upon a time, but she can at least have it long now. Even if she doesn't know what to do with it.

 _If I take a step back here, and ask what do I really expect to come of this? It was great to find out that she was even alive. I'd have heard somehow if something catastrophic happened, but there was always that nagging feeling that she could have slipped quietly away next to an empty bottle of pills… No, I deal with actual worst-case scenarios too often to be dwelling on the ones I make up._

She sighed as she turned a corner, hands stuffed into the pockets of her jacket, but ready to be removed at a moment's notice, more out of habit than any actual fear of the neighborhood. There were talks of gang violence in the downtown area, but nothing out here.

 _So maybe that's why I'm here. That nagging. I convinced myself that I'd moved on. But clearly I haven't. We were together half a lifetime ago, known each other for half a lifetime before that, but I only really_ knew _her for those six sweet months…_

She stopped. She was across the street from her destination. She didn't need to recheck the address.

 _But here I am. And suddenly I'm that fucking little girl again. Confused. Apprehensive. Nervous. Fuck, nervous? I don't get nervous. Scared? All the goddamn time. But nervous? Thought I grew out of that. Or at least had it beaten out of me. But honestly, for all I know, this could be the worst decision I've ever made. I know nothing about her now. The things that could have happened… I can't even fathom. God knows the shit that I've kept busy with. I better just accept the fact that my motivations are selfish. I don't feel the way that I used to, for certain; I definitely grew out of_ that _. Or something like growing out of it. But I need… something… here. Closure? That's a good word for it. A good excuse at least, until I figure out what the fuck I'm thinking. I just need to know that she's okay._

Another sigh and she started across the street. Gritting her teeth at the feeling of vulnerability. At least she had a gun. Well, not _a_ gun. Two. She was beyond certain that she wouldn't need them, but she felt naked without them. Usually she had more. She still felt slightly undressed with only two means of defending herself, so that was probably where that vulnerability was coming from.

She stopped herself, hand poised to knock on the door in front of her, and almost gave a small laugh. _I'm too old to be lying to myself,_ she thought shaking her head _._

She knew exactly where that feeling of vulnerability was coming from. It had nothing to do with the familiar weight of a handgun in its holster at her side, or the lack of one at any of the other number of places she'd concealed a weapon in her life. It had everything to do with what was on the other side of this door.

The past.

Her past.

The past she'd shared with another woman, and the futures it had made her younger self dare to dream of.

She'd focused for so long on _doing_ something. Any something. Forcing her life to mold itself into something worthwhile with her own hands. Always moving forward, always moving away from that naïve little girl she had been when she graduated from high school.

Or was it running away?

This was going to be difficult. Anna knocked on the door of the small home anyway. Firmly and professionally because she was committed.

There was a short pause before she heard the shuffling of footsteps coming to answer the unexpected caller at the door. The platinum-blonde that answered the door was just as stunning as the redhead outside of it remembered. Even in sweatpants, a loose t-shirt, and with a single braid hanging lazily over one shoulder, somehow it looked as if the years had been kind to her. The expression that crept across her face was that of one who'd seen a ghost.

"Elsa Arendal?"


	2. The Old Flame

**Author's Note:** Figured I should mention that I'm pretty sure the M rating is mostly a precaution. The majority of this story should be safe for T, but I figured it was better to be safe than sorry. At this point, language is probably the only concern. But I'll try to give a heads up if there's more to worry about.

 **Song:** This one's a pretty standard 'looking back on young love' choice. For some reason, this song has randomly come up on shuffle play during the ending of almost every media (movies, games, etc.) that's had a strong effect on me in the past 5 years, and I almost never listen to it otherwise. I figured I'd keep the tradition going and include it in my virgin voyage into writing fanfic, plus I thought it had similar appropriateness to the song I chose for the prologue.

* * *

CHAPTER 1: The Old Flame

 **One Week Earlier**

On the radio...

 _Here's to the twilight_

 _Here's to the memories_

 _These are my souvenirs_

 _My mental pictures of everything_

 _Here's to the late nights_

 _Here's to the firelight_

 _These are my souvenirs_

 _My souvenirs_

 _I close my eyes and go back in time_

 _I can see you're smiling, you're so alive..._

\- Switchfoot, "Souvenirs" (Vice Verses)

"DeLette!"

The sound of her supervisor addressing her as he walked over caused Anna to lift her head attentively from the monitor in front of her.

"Sir?" she replied looking over her desk at him as he approached.

He scoffed lightly at her address, "I keep telling you this isn't the marines. Just because you report to me doesn't mean you need to address me like your commanding officer."

Anna shrugged, "Westerguard is a couple syllables too long."

"Then call me Hans," he replied, throwing up his hands casually.

"I knew a guy in high school named Hans, he was kind of a dick," she mused, "but if you insist. What's up?" Hans actually looked slightly relieved at her dip into informal dialogue. She had a habit of coming off a little uptight.

"Just wanted to check in. Are you finishing up some paperwork?" he nodded towards her computer.

"Yep. Just about done."

"Nice work on that job by the way. I'm sure I've already said so, but it doesn't hurt to reiterate. You did some damn fine work. You _do_ damn fine work," Hans complemented.

"Thank you, sir," she replied politely, back to formality.

"Well, your debriefing indicated, as I'm sure your report will corroborate, that things got a little… hairy. So all the more praise to you."

"I'm used to hairy. But thank you again."

"Sad to say I think you probably are, from what I can tell. It's a good thing you have some time off. Speaking of, here's the file you requested," he placed it gingerly on her desk.

Anna nodded in thanks before Hans continued, his tone and expression turning from genial to concern.

"I take it you're going to be looking into a personal matter?"

"I am," Anna nodded again.

"It's none of my business, but I couldn't help but notice while compiling the information that there's a few… points of commonality between you two. You grew up in the same town, went to school together. You're not usually one to make reference to your past, in my admittedly limited experience with you, but that seems like it would explain the far too coincidental high school reference earlier."

"It would," Anna replied, intending to allow him to make his point.

"I'm not going to pretend I know you, Anna," his informal and earnest use of her first name was not lost on Anna, "it doesn't seem like anybody around here does. Despite and because of this, requesting files on a civilian that, as far as public record is concerned, has had no part of your life in the past decade seems incredibly out of character for you."

"It probably does," Anna affirmed flatly, "and it probably is."

"Look, it's your choice whether or not you want to make friends. Here, with some of the only people that can empathize with what you do, is probably the best place to make them. But again, it's your choice if you want to fraternize with coworkers. As your supervisor though, and to a greater extent as a human being with the capacity to give a damn about the people I work with, I need to make sure you're okay."

Hans looked earnest, and somewhat tense. Clearly he was unsure of how Anna was going to take this conversation. She felt a modicum of guilt that after almost 2 years, the man who was _her boss_ had difficulty approaching her. So she let him continue.

"It seems clear to me that this has been on your mind. And I don't need to call in any favors with my pals at the CIA to make a guess that your sudden requests for time off and an investigation into a civilian should raise a red flag. You're a workaholic, Anna. Which is, admittedly, often a requirement for this line of work. But you take it to a whole other level and make it look easy."

Hans appeared to be growing weary of his continued speech, or perhaps Anna's lack of a response. But she'd resolved to let him get as much out in the open as he was willing before she addressed his concerns.

"I get that some people are introverted," Hans went on…

 _Wait though._ That caught Anna's attention. She wasn't an introvert. At least she hadn't been, once upon a time...

"But you don't engage with _anybody._ Suddenly I get the impression you're going to track down somebody from years ago. This isn't…," he had to get this question out somehow, so he went with the direct approach. "This isn't some childhood revenge mission is it? You're not going to go murder your childhood bully, because we both know you could get away with it and that's-"

Anna held up a hand to silence him. _So that's the impression I give off now? Fuck me. He's legitimately wondering if I'm a psychopath._ "Well, it looks like I need to start chatting some more people up around the office if this is a legitimate concern," she said humorously.

Hans managed a tentative smile as Anna finally opened up.

"I swear the situation is nothing of the sort. It could maybe be argued that she might be the ultimate cause of my… mysterious?" she tried, "...behavior. But you don't need to worry about my intentions for my time off. If all goes well, I'll spend the vast majority of this vacation relaxing," she finished with a small, but genuine smile.

Once again Hans looked relieved, "well alright then." He paused briefly, taking a breath, and then gestured towards the unopened file on Anna's desk, "so… she an old friend?"

"An old _flame_ , actually."

"… _oh_."

It just occurred to Anna that her boss had had no idea she was a lesbian; that it was not a fact as obvious as her hair or eye color. She decided to gloss over the point.

"Yeah. _The_ old flame."

"The? It's none of my business but do you mean she's the only-"

"Oh, no. I've been with others." Anna wasn't quite sure why she was divulging this information, but it felt good to address the topic somehow. "There were a few before her. More after. But none like her."

"I think I know what you mean. True love and all that?" Hans asked.

Anna scoffed. "Something like that."

"I never figured you for the romantic type."

"Apparently there are a lot of things that no one around here figures about me."

"Yeah, sorry to dump that on you," Hans said, scratching the back of his head apologetically.

"Don't worry about it. It's good to know how people see me. Thank you for that, Hans. Seriously."

"Not a problem. Just glad to help when I can," his expression turned somber, "I take it things… didn't work out?"

"No… they didn't. Despite both of our efforts and desires."

"Requited love that just can't be? That's the worst, really," he had a knowing look on his face, almost as if he knew the exact circumstances that led to Elsa's departure from Anna's life.

 _Socially crippling power over the cold and ice? Probably not what he's guessing,_ Anna thought dryly, but decided to chide Hans anyway, "Requited love? I never figured _you_ for the romantic type."

Hans laughed, "Gotta pass the time somehow. We all have our guilty pleasures."

"We all have our _coping mechanisms._ That's why I work like I do. You're not a field agent, but I'm sure you've seen some shit," Hans nodded, and Anna continued, "Then you probably get how important it is to forget, or distract yourself from… things. A _lot_ has happened to me since I first joined ROTC in college. Since _her_. You don't get to be here if it doesn't."

"That's true," Hans agreed solemnly.

"I don't feel the need to read about love like it's a fantasy. I _had_ it. So I pass the time with work."

"You could've chosen safer work."

"Safer work didn't choose me."

"You get that off a fortune cookie?" Hans joked. Anna actually laughed. He was glad she did.

"I just need to see her again. Make sure she's okay. It's been over a decade and the wound doesn't seem to have closed. Since I have the resources, it's time to be proactive about it," Anna shrugged. That wasn't the whole truth. But Anna thought it was close.

"I think I get it. I'll try to keep work out of your hair in the meantime. Maybe give you a quick call with some details about your next assignment a day or two before you get back on the job," Hans pressed his lips into a line and patted her desk with both hands, a symbolic gesture for the end of their conversation.

"Sounds good, Hans."

He turned to look over his shoulder as he walked back towards his office, "Whatever you're looking for with this girl, I hope you find it. Good luck, Anna."

"Thanks," Anna said, a tentative smile breaching her lips as he disappeared around a corner.

She sighed and turned back to her computer. In five to ten minutes she would finalize the report from her last assignment. Then she could go through the file she'd requested on Elsa Arendal, her true first love. She intentionally wouldn't pry too hard. Just enough information to visit her, wherever she was. _Probably Norway, but she could surprise me._ Any other information she wanted to at least give Elsa the opportunity to divulge of her own volition.

After Elsa's file, she would need to set up the official travel plans, grabbing her well-worn passport, packing, and the other mundane vacation tasks. But most importantly she needed to compile her own research. The side-project she'd been working on in her personal time for years.

Anna didn't believe in magic. Well, she believed in _magic_ , the kind that her adolescent sweetheart had demonstrated in altering the weather, or conjuring a snowball in summer. But the universe didn't operate in increments of one. Lightning? Strikes in multiple places all the time. Ice ages? There were like seven of those. Life? Aliens are probably a thing.

Her dearest of friends couldn't be alone in the universe. She could make a damn good case for the idea, even if she didn't quite have the evidence to _prove_ it.

Anna DeLette was certain that Elsa Arendal couldn't be the only person on Earth with magical powers.


	3. Just Another Afternoon

**Authors Note:** Just putting up the prologue and the first two chapters tonight. I've got about twice as much already done, but my beta still needs time to proofread for me. More should be up in the week or two.

* * *

CHAPTER 2: Just Another Afternoon

On the radio…

 _So I been sitting around, wasting my time,_

 _wondering what you been doing._

 _Aw, and it ain't real forgiving, it ain't real forgiving_

 _sitting here picturing someone else living._

 _And I, yeah I still need you, but what good's that gonna do?_

 _Needing is one thing, and getting gettings another..._

-OK Go, "Needing/Getting" (Of the Blue Color of the Sky)

As the mid-afternoon light filtered in through the shaded windows of a small residence in a UK suburb, a slender woman stepped out of her bedroom with a delicate yawn and a short stretch. Silvery blonde hair cascaded lazily across her bare shoulders and down the back of her sleeveless nightshirt. She went down a short hallway, passed through a portion of her living room, and glanced at the clock on the wall as she stepped into her kitchen. Just after 2:00 pm. That's too bad; Elsa had been hoping to sleep in today.

She flicked a button on her coffee pot and went about making herself breakfast. Before long she slid gracefully onto a wooden chair on the far side of her kitchen, setting a plate of eggs and toast atop the round table in front of her. A thin pair of sleep shorts was all that stood between her and the frigid wood beneath, a fact that would lead her to jolt with surprise if she were anyone else, but she didn't even notice the temperature of the furniture beneath her.

Elsa lifted a mug to her lips and took a sip of warm liquid as her free hand liberated a phone from her pocket. She operated the touch screen that made up almost the entirety of its front panel with practiced ease, barely glancing at the food she was using a single hand to consume.

First she refreshed herself on her schedule. Today was free, until work tonight. Tomorrow she had brunch with Cora: that would be breakfast for Elsa, and a late lunch for Cora. Work again tomorrow night as usual. Then the same routine as today on Thursday. Simple enough. Elsa didn't exactly keep herself busy with engagements.

Now that she was certain that she hadn't forgotten about any obligations, next on the agenda was social media. It had been a big step for her to try and reconnect with old friends, but she'd decided years back that it would be good for her. She'd been right. An outside observer might have remarked that Elsa had a rather modest list of friends on her profile, but she certainly wasn't counting. Everyone there was a person that she legitimately cared about maintaining contact with.

Though it didn't cover all of the people she'd like to stay connected with. It would be impossible for her parents to be there, of course, but even though that old wound had mostly healed (or at least scarred over) she wasn't opposed to laying awake some mornings to contemplate 'what-ifs.' Speaking of what-ifs, there was a certain redhead who was conspicuously absent from her friends list. In fact, she was quite absent from the friends list of anyone Elsa knew. It was surprising that she, of all people, social butterfly that she always was, wouldn't have a social media presence. Not even a Twitter, or a Blog. Elsa had checked.

When asked, as casually as Elsa could manage through a Facebook message, Kristoff had said that Anna had seemingly dropped off the face of the earth after college. He'd mentioned that the copper-haired girl had joined the army or something, after graduating, and he hadn't talked to her since. Kristoff immediately regretted divulging this information so frankly, because Elsa's mind had immediately gone to worst-case scenarios of Anna being shot or otherwise killed. The tall blond man had assured her that Anna was alive and well somewhere. He'd looked into it himself. The woman in question was just somewhere that no one knew the particulars of, and as far as Kristoff could tell from the records available to him, it seemed like she didn't mind it that way.

Elsa had thanked him for letting her know, and dropped the subject. She wasn't going to get better information from anybody else that she knew, considering Kristoff was a cop. If that was all the information there was between him and the rest of her old friends from high school, then prying further wouldn't yield anything but disappointment.

Elsa had even done her best to drop the subject in her own head. She actually succeeded... mostly. Thoughts of Anna usually only made their way into Elsa's mind on lonely nights when she needed to release the stress of existence. Elsa might have prefered to have other fantasies, but having only ever been in love with one person, there was a certain right the redhead had over her mental real estate.

Elsa scrolled through a column of status updates, as she lifted the last bite of toast to her mouth. She skipped past every update on Olaf's progress through Candy Crush, pausing to read and smile at _intentional_ status updates.

"Somebody's gotta tell him how to turn those off," Elsa mused to herself.

Kristoff didn't post as much as he used to before graduating from the academy. He still did his best to keep in touch though, replying as promptly as he could to any private messages. Other than that, Kristoff really only shared pictures of himself and Sven. Sven was far too busy to bother to share those things, doing whatever it was he did, that apparently made him an ungodly amount of money. No matter how different the roads life seemed to take them on, the friendship between the two men persevered unwaveringly.

The latest was a selfie that Kristoff had taken of the two of them at some outdoor cafe in New York. Sven doing his usual best to look aloof, despite the bemused smile cracking his lips, and Kristoff smiling goofily without shame next to him.

Olaf was tagged in a number of photos of the new restaurant that he was opening with his husband, who was clearly the man taking all the pictures considering his absence in the pictures. Elsa couldn't help but giggle at the unrestrained joy of Olaf's massive smile, captured in every frame. It had been a really long time since Elsa was in the States. Someday she would have to take a trip back and visit them.

Elsa gulped down the remainder of her drink, gently returning the mug to it's place on the table as she thumbed over from status updates to messages. She scrolled through the names purposefully. Nothing new from Kristoff Bjorgman, no surprise, Kristoff preferred to Skype once or twice a month as opposed to simple text correspondence. Nothing from Sven. Again no surprise, that man was far too busy for idle chat. But he made a point to be around when Kristoff would Skype Elsa from time to time. Nothing from Cora, unless it was urgent, she'd be saving any conversation topics for brunch tomorrow. Finally, she found the name she was looking for: Olaf Marsh.

As Elsa expected, there were a handful of new messages waiting for her just below Facebook's listing of his married name. The two of them had had a fairly constant back and forth for years. There was a backlog of a few thousand messages for her to reference if she ever felt like it.

 _Just wanted to update you with a great new recipe that hubby came up with! :D_

 _I think you're really gonna like it._

 _Give it a try and tell me what you think!_

 _So, we haven't really come up with a name for it, but it's this chocolatey kind of dessert thing (I know you're already sold). It would be a totally great way for you to introduce a date to your favorite food group. ;)_

 _So here's how the recipe goes, I'm sure it'll be no problem for you, Snowflake…_

Elsa had no idea how Olaf had chosen such an accurate nickname for her some years back, and he'd likely never know how appropriate it was. It made Elsa smile every time he called her that. It was almost as if someone other than a redheaded high school love she was never going to see again knew about her secret.

Elsa decided she would read the recipe later, it wasn't like she was going to make a dessert for herself right after breakfast.

Besides, glancing at the wall and seeing that it was already a bit after 3 o'clock, Elsa decided she should probably take a shower and get dressed. She returned her phone to her pocket, and stacked the used dishes from the table, carrying them to the sink to be washed later.

A few minutes later, Elsa was under the sweet warmth of a relaxing shower. Well, at least Elsa _thought_ it was warm. She couldn't exactly tell if the water was cold, so for all she knew she took icy showers every day. Either way, she was content as long as it was comfortable, so what did it matter if why it was comfortable didn't make sense?

Once she was satisfied with her cleanliness, Elsa gingerly stepped out of the shower, and onto the cold tile of the bathroom floor. Once again, she didn't notice the bite of the contact, and she seemed unperturbed by the lack of a towel anywhere within reach.

Living alone, Elsa had no need for modesty, and she certainly didn't need the help drying off. With a wave of her hand, the water droplets covering her body crystalized smoothly. Another dismissive gesture sent the thin layer of frost on her body away, and with that Elsa's body was dry.

All that remained was her hair. Elsa turned to the mirror, her wet locks hanging wherever they pleased. She corrected this by coating each strand with a gentle dusting of ice, then a series of wiggling fingers telekinetically twirled her hair into a single braid. She turned her head side to side in the mirror to make sure her technique wasn't slipping, then she tossed the braid casually over one shoulder and made her way out of the bathroom.

Her bedroom was only a few steps away from the bathroom, and it wasn't long before Elsa was dressed. One of the great benefits of working nights: no dress code. Aside from her undergarments, a pair of sweatpants and a comfortable T-Shirt were all she needed for now. She'd probably change into jeans before work later, for the convenience they provided, but that and the socks could wait until it was much closer to time for her to clock in.

Elsa made her way out to the living room and took a moment to admire her surroundings. She'd been in this small house for a few years now, but she certainly hadn't grown tired of it. It suited her needs perfectly. Despite the fact that she didn't often have guests (though 'never' definitely wasn't accurate), her living space was very well kept. Clean and well organized. Imposing order on her immediate and personal physical surroundings was one method which Elsa had developed for coping with the lack of control she seemed to have in the more metaphysical aspects of her life.

Now that her pride in her home had been reestablished, what was Elsa going to do with her free time today? There were a few options open to her. There were always movies she'd meant to see. Netflix was good for that, but Elsa didn't quite get her full moneys worth out of the product; she had a mysterious aversion to television series that she couldn't quite explain.

The glance over at her television set that the thought of a film provoked reminded her of the rest of the electronics that adorned the entertainment center surrounding it. She definitely had the time to sit down and game today. There was always that new Batman game she'd picked up the other day, she'd been meaning to start it sometime. No time like the present.

With a glance back to the kitchen Elsa remembered she should probably spend the 10 minutes it would take to handle the dishes before diving into leisure activities. She leaned over to grab her laptop off of the end table by her couch, and strode casually into the kitchen. Might as well set up some tunes while she worked.

She set the laptop down on the countertop built into the divider between her kitchen and living room, centering it in the large window that provided a view from the den into the kitchen and vice versa. She flipped it open, minimizing the internet browser she'd left open to navigate over to iTunes. On that note, as far as leisure time was concerned, there was always dicking around on the internet for hours on end if she couldn't work up the courage to start Batman.

Elsa queued up a few tracks that she was in the mood for, and hit play. Sashaying over to her sink, and swaying her hips to the tune of the song that started playing. Just as she turned on the faucet she was startled by the sudden ring of her doorbell. As a general rule, it was an uncommon sound in her life, and she wasn't expecting anyone today.

With a shrug, Elsa turned off the faucet, slapped the pause button on her laptop and strode curiously out of the kitchen. The privacy-film over the windows in her front door prevented her from identifying the surprise guest as she approached the door.

Elsa unlatched the door, opening it to the sight of probably the last person on earth that she would have expected.

"Elsa Arendal?" inquired the somewhat aged but very familiar redhead in front of her.

Elsa composed herself as best she could and nodded.

The woman smiled tentatively and began to introduce herself, "my name is DeLette. An-"

Elsa finally found her voice to interrupt, "I know who you are, Anna."


	4. Reunion

**Author's Note:** Meant to have this up last weekend, but then my beta suggested some reworks for the next two chapters and I got sick for a week and I hadn't picked a song for this chapter yet so ... yeah. Sorry for the wait.

The song is from Wreck-It Ralph, which Jennifer Lee (co-director of Frozen) directed, so I thought it might be appropriate.

* * *

CHAPTER 3: Reunion

On Elsa's laptop...

 _Life is a trip and the road map leads you_

 _Look all around at the mountains you haven't climbed_

 _It's just a matter of time, before we learn how to fly_

 _Welcome to the rhythm of the night_

 _There's something in the air you can't deny_

 _It's been fun but now I've got to go_

 _Life is way too short to take it slow_

 _But before I go and hit the road_

 _I gotta know, when can I see you again?_

-Owl City, "When Can I See You Again?" (Wreck-It Ralph)

Anna wasn't quite sure if she was relieved or worried that the blond recognized her so easily. That could either be flattering, or lead straight to a door getting slammed in her face. She had no idea which, and was reminded that she really hadn't thought this through. _It looks like no amount of necessary preparation in your professional life will keep you from charging into things without thinking in your personal life._

Elsa took a moment to take in Anna's appearance, trying to gather as much information as she could. The trademark braids that used to almost always hang to her shoulders were absent, replaced with a ponytail barely visible around the back of her head. Instinctively Elsa missed the sight of the braids, but Anna wore this hairstyle well.

There wasn't much of a read that Elsa could get from the woman's attire. The jeans, beige jacket and plain black shirt visible underneath exuded nothing but practicality. They looked just fine, but could suit any economic situation. Elsa was too distracted with her thoughts to realize how long the silence was growing between them.

Unused to awkwardness, Anna's instinct to take charge of a situation got the better of her."Hi," she tried. _Oh wow. That's the best you've got?_ The urge to bury her features in a facepalm was growing stronger by the second.

At the sound of Anna's voice, Elsa was brought to the reality of the uncomfortable silence that had just broken. A flustered "hi," was the best she could do for a reply. _Good lord. I thought we'd worked on the people skills…_

It looked like Anna was going to have to take the lead with the conversation. _I really should have expected that. And maybe put some time into thinking about what I would say when I got here._ Straight to business wasn't exactly an option though.' _So I've been working on this conspiracy theory about people with superpowers...' is really not the way to open with a girl you haven't seen since you were a freshman. Small talk it is._

"So, how have you been?"

"Uh," Elsa fumbled with her words for a moment, before her mind grasped the question like a life raft after a shipwreck. "Well, I've been um…" she paused for a moment, glancing away to consider her answer, "good, actually." She seemed almost surprised that that was her honest answer.

The corner of Anna's mouth curled into the infancy of a smile as Elsa made eye contact again. That was good to hear.

"Oh uh, what about you?" Elsa added, "how have you been?"

 _I have no idea. Good… probably?_ A short answer would probably halt the conversation right there, so Anna tried to add some detail for Elsa to latch on to.

"I've been… busy is probably the best word for it, Y'know, growing up, seeing the world-"

"Disappearing off the face of the earth," Elsa's eyes went wide, she hadn't meant to say that out loud.

"What?" Anna wasn't quite expecting to be interrupted, and didn't quite catch Elsa's interjection.

"Do you want to come inside?" Elsa asked quickly, hoping the change of setting would distract Anna from her comment. It worked, Anna took being invited in as a good sign and was completely distracted.

"Sure," Anna said.

Elsa stepped back, opening her door, gesturing for Anna to enter her abode, and mentally berating herself the whole time. _You're the one who left. 'You disappeared' first. Saying things like that is a fast track to a reversal of roles that you don't want, Elsa. Anna just showed up out of nowhere, don't screw this up._

The first thing that Anna noticed as she entered was that the house was fairly cool. Not quite cold, but almost like someone cranked the AC up to full blast. She didn't see an air conditioning unit, and she suspected there wasn't one to find.

"Do you want me to take your jacket?" Elsa asked. This was a far more difficult question than either of them could have anticipated.

 _Shit,_ Anna thought. It would be polite for her to say yes, but then she'd have to explain the firearm holstered at her side, and there was the definite possibility that Elsa could take the fact that she was armed the wrong way (powers or not). Neither case was exactly a good ice breaker. _No pun intended._ But it would be rude not to let her take it. Anna didn't want to imply that she was in a hurry, or that Elsa's house was too cold. _It's actually quite comfortable, especially with my jacket..._

"No thanks," Anna replied politely, cramming her entire internal conflict into a single beat. Then she added the best excuse that came to her. "It completes the outfit."

Elsa simply shrugged and continued leading her guest into her abode.

 _Oh god. Is it really so easy to believe that I'm that shallow?_ the redhead mentally winced. The slight feeling of insult passed quickly as her senses began to absorb the features of her host's lodging.

Anna glanced around to take in the details of Elsa's small home, and Elsa suddenly became very self conscious. She had never been more thankful for her habit of keeping everything in order. Fortunately the only things Anna could judge her for were the modesty of the house and its specific contents, not their arrangement.

Elsa's Blu-Ray movies were neatly (and alphabetically) arranged on a number of shelves behind the glass door of their dedicated section of the entertainment center. They weren't thrown in some haphazard mess on the table at the end of the couch, but maybe Anna would think that the large population of superhero movies were childish. Her gaming consoles were all neatly packed away with their respective controllers and other paraphernalia in each of their own slots in the entertainment center, but if the movies were immature what would Anna think of a grown woman playing video games? The dwelling was small, Elsa didn't need any bigger, but maybe it said poor things about her financial situation, and Anna might be far better off. Or perhaps the organization of the furniture might seem a bit _too_ OCD-

"I like your place," Anna said with a curt grin, abruptly pulling Elsa away from her worries, "I think it suits you perfectly;" _or at least how I remember you…,_ "everything is nice and tidy, even though you weren't expecting company, er, I assume?"

"Thanks," Elsa smiled, then shrugged, " and I wasn't." Before Anna could wince, Elsa quickly added, "but it's a welcome surprise."

Anna turned to face Elsa as she reached the center of the main room, unsure of where Elsa would like her to end up, and relieved that Elsa didn't think her presence enough of an intrusion to seize the open opportunity for reprimand.

Elsa motioned towards the kitchen and continued, "Although, if you don't mind my asking, to what do I owe the honor of your unexpected company?"

Anna followed Elsa into the kitchen, taking in more of the sights of Elsa's home. Elsa indicated that Anna take a seat at the round table by the window, in the same chair that Elsa had breakfast in that morning, and Anna did so.

 _I used government resources to find your personal information so I could tell you about some kooky theory I have about there being people with magic like yours._ "Oh y'know, I was in the neighborhood, thought I might stop by and see how an old friend was doing."

Elsa wasn't sure if 'old friend' was a promotion or demotion from what she expected Anna to consider her, but the incredulity and curiosity at Anna's reply exceeded those thoughts in the urgency of her mind. Elsa turned to face Anna, leaning against the refrigerator that she was about to open, both hands behind her back against the handle.

"You just happened to be hanging around Sutton? Last time I checked we both grew up in the Midwest. You don't just trip and find yourself in a suburb of London." Elsa was suddenly very inquisitive, pushing a little harder for an answer than was usual for her. But she was either very curious to know the circumstances by which Anna could just happen to be "in the neighborhood," let alone know her address, or very eager to gain her ego an admission that the redhead had traveled to Europe just to see her.

Meanwhile, Anna was surprised at how verbose and direct Elsa was being. She'd been a far more reserved creature once upon a time. _Surprise, people change._ She couldn't analyze Elsa's metamorphosis for long though, the blonde was expecting an amendment to her half-assed explanation.

"Work takes me all over the place; I had some vacation time, I was in Europe, I thought 'why not visit a friend and spend a week in London?'" Anna explained nonchalantly.

This was not satisfying to Elsa. _Ok but how did you get my address? How did you_ know _I was in London? Dammit, why do I_ want _to believe you spent some ridiculous amount of time stalking me or tracking me down. Although if that were the case, that would explain the evasiveness…_

"How'd you find my place?"

"Phonebook and a GPS," Anna replied. Elsa was not convinced by that answer; _do phonebooks even exist anymore?_

"Why the UK and not Norway?" Elsa asked. _It's not fair that you somehow knew I wasn't still there, and_ nobody _has any idea where you've been._

"I don't have any friends in Norway," Anna answered with an obliviousness to the reality of the question that could _not_ be anything but an act, "why would I go there when you live here?"

Elsa threw up her hands and turned to the fridge again. "Fair enough." It wasn't. But Elsa could see that she wasn't going to get anywhere further down that line of conversation. She opened the refrigerator again, pulling out a pitcher of water, before reclosing the door and walking over to the countertop.

Anna felt some guilt over her evasiveness. It was justified, which Elsa couldn't know, but both of them knew Anna wasn't answering the question. Anna decided to apologize, "Sorry. I would've called ahead or something, but I know you're not the biggest fan of phone calls." The apology had to hide behind an apology for something else; Anna couldn't very well admit that she was being evasive without bringing that whole line of inquisition back up, but hopefully Elsa would pick up on the subtlety and they could move along.

Anna couldn't tell if Elsa did catch it or not, because the blonde unexpectedly started chuckling.

"I think not having my number would be the biggest impediment there."

 _No I got that from the same file that had your address…_ "Well, the phonebook," Anna shrugged.

Elsa rolled her eyes as she pulled two glasses from the cupboard above the counter. _That phonebook thing is bullshit and you know it._ She filled both glasses and turned to face Anna.

"Well, since you have my number then, don't hesitate to call or even text me," Elsa walked over to the table and set both glasses down. She lifted a hand over each glass and, after a few moments, a coalescence of light and sparkles yielded a few ice cubes that fell gently into each glass. Elsa took a seat across from Anna. The redhead raised an eyebrow.

Elsa waved a hand nonchalantly, "I might as well enjoy the convenience of my magical affliction in the comfort of my own home."

Anna winced imperceptibly at the use of the word 'affliction;' even the blonde woman's creation of mundane objects like ice cubes was beautiful to behold. Anna reached for the glass nearest her, "I was reacting to your comment about phone calls, actually. Although the refreshment is appreciated," she added with a cheers gesture before taking a sip of the ice water.

"I'm flattered that you remember that detail, but don't worry; it's not a problem anymore. A lot of things aren't. I've made progress. A lot of it," Elsa explained matter-of-factly.

"That's good," Anna said.

"I think so." Elsa took the opportunity to elaborate,"Once I was on my own and everything… it was hard, for sure. But," she paused searching for the correct phrase, "adapt or die, right? I'm not even on medication anymore." Maybe that was a little too much information, but this was _Anna_ she was talking to.

Anna glanced down at Elsa's hands that were displayed on the table next to her drink. She scanned the knuckles of each finger and thumb, all of them were smooth and well kept; a callous Anna had been expecting conspicuously absent. She looked back into Elsa's eyes and gave her a tentative smile.

"That's _really_ good, Elsa."

The familiar use of her first name, and the sincerity in Anna's expression brought a small smile to Elsa's face as she nodded.

It occurred to Elsa that the redhead across from her considered her fragile, which she found insulting. It wasn't like Anna could be blamed for this perspective, considering their history, but Elsa wanted to rectify it. It wasn't like she could just tell the woman not to think that way though, Elsa knew she'd have to show her. Back to being aggressively inquisitive then; that would serve that end, as well as potentially satisfying the curiosity about Anna's life that had been building over the years.

"So, ignoring your obvious shadiness regarding how you got here, and even knew where here was," she said pointedly, "I'm curious about what else you've been up to over the years."

Anna wasn't used to being caught off guard so many times in one afternoon. This new Elsa was going to take some getting used to.

"Alright," Anna gestured acceptingly, ignoring the dig at her evasiveness, "what would you like to know?"

"Well, nobody knows where you've been for almost a decade-"

"Who's nobody?"

"Y'know, everybody from high school. Kirstoff, Sven, Olaf."

"You talk to all of them?"

"Yeah, over Facebook and stuff."

"You have a Facebook?!"

"Yeah, and you're conspicuously absent from it."

"I am?"

Elsa nodded, "You were the social butterfly and everything. Out of everyone in the old gang, I kinda thought you would be the most likely candidate for a social media presence."

 _And you were the least likely,_ Anna thought. Today was full of surprises all around.

"Anyway" Elsa continued, "Kristoff said that nobody has heard a word from you since you graduated and joined the army or something."

"Well that's almost right."

"Which part is wrong?"

"I guess I didn't really keep up with anybody, and I _did_ enlist. Not with the Army though. I was a Marine," Anna said.

"Oh wow." _Even more dangerous than I was lead to believe,_ "With a tattoo and everything?"

 _Why is that what you associate with being a Ma- whatever._ Anna glanced over at her bicep, hidden beneath two layers of clothing, she didn't really want to think about that, "Yeah. And everything."

"For 8 years?"

"No, only 4."

"What have you been up to since?"

"Government work. It takes me all over, but otherwise there's not a lot to say about it. I'd rather not get into it."

"Okay," Elsa nodded curtly. _Another roadblock. She used to be so open and- god, is this what it was like trying to talk to me?_

"How about you?" Anna asked.

"Hmm?" Elsa hadn't been prepared for a question.

"What have you been up to all this time?" Anna elaborated.

" that's kind of a big question," Elsa wasn't sure where she would begin to answer.

"You _just_ asked me the same question," Anna pointed out humorously.

"Yeah, but I added a specific question to start from," Elsa countered.

"Fine then. 'Why the UK and not Norway?'" Anna parroted the blonde's earlier question.

 _I see what you did there,_ "Well, I've been to a couple places since Norway," Elsa took a sip of her water. "It was good to be around family in some ways, but in others they became… overbearing. Because of my situation," Elsa waved her hand and an ice cube materialized and then dissipated in the span of a mere second.

"That makes sense."

"I was in Greece for a bit, and then a few other places. Don't know why I thought that would work out. I'm not really at a ripe age to casually pick up a third language," Elsa shrugged, "finally I settled on a place where I _already_ spoke the language. It's not the brand of English that I was used to, but it's grown on me."

"At least it's English. I know that feeling," Anna said. Elsa nodded back, and Anna added, "Sounds like you got your wish to see the world though."

"Suppose I did, and then I settled here," Elsa shrugged, "I've been here for a few years now. It's nice."

"You certainly seem comfortable. What did you finally decide to study?" Anna asked.

"Management, actually."

"Oh? No offense, but that's a little, uh, people oriented, right?" Anna inquired carefully.

"Well, it doesn't have to be. You can do a lot with just email these days. That's definitely easier than face-to-face and phone calls. An adviser convinced me to give it a shot after we established that math and english weren't my strong suits. That cut me off from a lot of the introvert careers."

Anna nodded in understand, finishing off her water with one final sip.

"I know what you're getting at though," Elsa went on, "it took me four and a half years to graduate. It was...rough. For a while. Pathetic even."

"Elsa-"

"No, it was. I know it. And you're not gonna convince me otherwise. It's part of why I'm so 'comfortable' now. I've come a long way and it feels good. Sure, I'm not really up to handling crowds. But I'm a functional human being now. I've got something of a career, I've made some new friends, reconnected with some old ones," Elsa gestured to Anna, "and I can do all of the things expected of an adult on her own."

"I'm happy for you, Elsa," Anna said, with no hint of pity or condescension in her tone, "really. It's good to see you like this."

"Not what you were expecting, am I?" Elsa asked knowingly.

"I wasn't sure what to expect." It was an honest answer, but Elsa was right.

"Well, I wasn't expecting anything, so thanks again for that surprise," Elsa chided with a smile.

"You're welcome," Anna grinned.

Elsa finished her water and stood, taking both of their empty glasses over to the kitchen sink, "you don't mind if I do the dishes, do you?"

"It's your house,"Anna shrugged, "I'm not gonna show up out of nowhere and tell you what you can or can't do in it. You've got me curious now, though."

"About what?" Elsa asked over her shoulder, as she flicked on the faucet.

"A few things. Like your new friends?"

"Oh, well it's not like I've become head of the neighborhood social committee or anything-"

"Wait, is that a thing?" Anna interrupted.

"Maybe? How would I know?" Elsa replied with an exaggerated shrug of both arms, "anyway, I've met a few people through work and places that I frequent."

"There are places you frequent?" another interruption.

"Yes," Elsa scoffed, "I decided not to grow up to be a hermit. I'm meeting one of those friends at one of those places tomorrow afternoon as a matter of fact. Her name is Cora, I work with her."

"Should I be jealous?" Anna asked. It was obviously a joke, certainly more so than Elsa would have liked it to be. It wasn't quite addressing the elephant in the room, but it was a step in the right direction.

Elsa scoffed again, "No. Her _boyfriend_ is another friend of mine. We all work at the warehouse."

"Warehouse?"

"That's what we call it. Well, that's what it _is_."

"So what does that entail?"

"A lot of quiet, some would say lonely, nights," Elsa answered, as she scrubbed the list dish left from breakfast.

"Most jobs don't require lonely nights. Usually who or what you spend your nights with is up to you"

"Usually. Not so much when you _work_ nights though. I figured out early on that there were reliable ways to diminish human contact, no matter what field I ended up in. Working overnight shifts professionally was one of them."

"I see. Guess that explains you being home in the afternoon on a Tuesday. Although I probably should have thought of that before just showing up…" Anna trailed off.

"Well you always had a knack for getting lucky when you leapt before you looked," Elsa chided, drying the last dish before setting it in the rack beside the sink. She repurposed the towel to dry her hands and turned to face Anna.

It was Anna's turn to scoff, "I suppose I did."

Elsa happened to glance at the clock on the wall, "oh crap."

"What?"

"Speaking of work, I've gotta change and get ready for my shift."

"Oh." Anna's expression was unreadable, and did not betray the disappointment that Elsa was hoping to find, "I suppose I should probably get out of your hair then." Anna stood from from her chair.

"Probably. But, uh…, you said you were in town for a week, right?"

"Yeah, until Friday, actually. I'm getting on a plane that night."

"Would you like to meet up again? I'm busy tomorrow, but I'm available on Thursday?"

"Sure," Anna's face brightened ever so slightly, "what did you have in mind? Coffee?"

"Coffee is good. I know of a few places if you're up for it," Elsa offered, hiding her excitement at the prospect that this wouldn't be the end of their interactions.

"I'm up for it."

"Cool," Elsa walked into the living room and motioned for Anna to follow. She walked over to the desk against the far wall and snatched up a pen, scribbling something onto a post-it. She peeled it off and turned to Anna, handing the small slip of paper to the readhead.

"Here's my number," Elsa clarified.

"I didn't even have to buy you dinner," Anna deadpanned.

Elsa rolled her eyes, "I figured that would make communication easier. You can _call_ before we see each other this time."

"Where's the fun in that?"

Elsa shook her head, "You're just as difficult as I remember."

"Why thank you." Anna half-smirked over her shoulder as she turned toward the door. Elsa was slightly disappointed that Anna hadn't offered her own number in return.

"I'll text you, so you have my number too," Anna added, almost as if she could hear Elsa's thoughts.

"Sounds good," Elsa said, opening the front door for Anna with a smile.

"Have fun at work, I guess," Anna said with a shrug as she made her way outside.

"Thanks. I'll see you on Thursday."

Anna waved with one hand over her shoulder is she made her way towards the street. Elsa's phone buzzed a moment later, and she reached into her pocket for it, shutting the door slowly with her free hand.

It was a text a from an unrecognized number.

 _Looking forward to it._

Elsa leaned back against the closed door, smiling to herself.


End file.
